IRER 23

Chapter 23: Her Capability

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

The plants surging from the ground erupted with such force that the very earth trembled.

“Brody!”

Through the dense vegetation, Brody slowly rose from the dirt.

Her hand was stretched out toward Aidan.

Faced with the aggressive onslaught of the plants, Aidan shifted his stance.

Because of this, he was forced to step off from where he had pinned Jacks.

The massive sword in Aidan’s hand moved as if it were a featherlight toy, leaving behind elegant arcs of motion.

Though his build was far from small, he moved with surprising agility. With each swing of his sword, thick plant stems were severed cleanly and dropped to the ground.

To someone unaware of the situation, the battle itself looked almost majestic.

The fertile southern soil birthed thick, fast-growing vegetation, sprouting rapidly toward a single target—it was as if the plants were alive.

They soared, twisted, and crashed down.

The way the perfect plants emerged for each moment clearly showed the skill of a true plant wielder.

Facing Brody head-on, Aidan realized just how powerful her abilities were.

But Brody, too, was shocked as she looked at Aidan.

Though she wasn’t acting of her own free will, she was fully conscious.

The sword he swung with uncanny precision seemed to form a spherical shield around him.

Even the most aggressive vines couldn’t touch him.

Brody, who had been anxious that she might hurt him, let out a silent sigh of relief.

But her hand, stretched against her will, continued attacking Aidan regardless of her thoughts.

Aidan advanced, cutting through the vegetation step by step, slowly closing the distance between them.

“Brody, please… snap out of it.”

Brody stepped back and retaliated more fiercely, like a desperate struggle.

Your Highness, what are you saying? It’s not my mind that needs waking—my body does. My mind is perfectly fine!

That was what made it all the more maddening.

Her consciousness was crystal clear.

The battle eventually devolved into a test of endurance.

“Ugh!”

A breath burst from Brody’s lips, startling even herself.

Her chest ached as if it were being ripped apart, and her breathing grew shallow, like after a long sprint.

“Brody!”

Seeing Aidan’s face twist with worry, Brody realized something was seriously wrong.

A bitter, metallic taste coated her tongue.

She must have overextended herself—her body was paying the price.

Unable to control her movements, she couldn’t even lift a hand to wipe the blood trickling from her lips. She merely followed the command, making more plants sprout.

An agonizing pain surged through her body, as if needles were piercing every cell, but she couldn’t even scream.

With clenched teeth, Aidan sheathed his sword.

“…!”

A vine, bristling with thorns, wrapped around his arm in an attempt to shield his face.

Its sharp spikes dug into his skin, leaving cuts, but Aidan didn’t flinch. He simply stared at Brody.

At last, her attack ceased.

“Brody! Block the Grand Duke and protect me!”

That had been the command—so when Aidan backed off and sheathed his sword, the order was deemed fulfilled.

But Brody was already falling apart.

Her face had turned deathly pale, her pupils unfocused, and blood dripped from her lips.

Yet Aidan could tell—Brody was feeling everything: the pain, the fear, the shame.

His fists trembled with suppressed rage.

It wasn’t the bracelet.

He had been tricked by Jacks, who had made the bracelet seem like the control mechanism.

This had been the only chance to fix things. And he had ruined it with one poor decision.

As Aidan stepped back, Jacks strode forward with false grace and extended his left hand toward Brody.

He moved like a storybook hero rescuing a damsel from a villain.

But for dramatic effect, he had to stop pressing the bloody cloth against his wounded jaw.

It made him look ridiculous as he reached for Brody.

“Well done, Brody. Come to me.”

Brody extended her hand like a puppet, but it trembled from exhaustion.

In the end, she collapsed before she could reach him.

“Brody!”

Aidan shouted with a voice that sounded as if his heart were being ripped apart.

Fortunately, Jacks caught her falling body.

“Oh, Brody, you poor thing.”

Who do you think caused this? Aidan gritted his teeth with a crack.

Yet Jacks, as if he bore no blame, spoke calmly.

Brody’s eyes moved slightly to glance at him.

She glared at him with eyes full of disgust, and Jacks frowned at the look.

“Oh Lord, forgive me. This woman, who threw herself for me, has been corrupted by evil. But fear not, Brody. Live with me, and you’ll return to how you once were—a sweet and obedient girl.”

Brody wanted to curse him out, but she couldn’t even muster the strength to move her lips, let alone her body.

Jacks hoisted her limp body over his shoulder.

“Urgh…!”

Brody, dangling from his shoulder, made a last, desperate squirm.

“Shh, be quiet, Brody. Time to behave.”

At his command, her feeble resistance abruptly stopped.

Jacks then turned to Aidan, who took a step forward, eyes burning with fury.

No, Jacks spoke toward Aidan—but not to him.

“Brody, if he follows us, attack.”

At that, Brody’s hand twitched on Jacks’s shoulder.

A new command had been issued, and her body once again obeyed, against her will.

Around Aidan, plants began to sprout and twist. But they no longer surged with the same force as before—they merely wavered and crept forward.

Aidan noticed blood dripping from Jacks’s back, leaving a trail behind them.

It was Brody’s blood, not his.

Seeing her coughing and wheezing nearly tore Aidan’s heart apart.

“You vile bastard.”

Aidan bit down so hard he drew blood from his lips and halted his steps.

Jacks only gave a smug smile, as if to say, “So what are you going to do about it?”

The moment he smirked, pain flared in the wounded jaw where Aidan’s sword had cut him.

Frowning, Jacks touched the injury, then dramatically declared:

“I’ll repay today’s debt in three years! Ah, but perhaps this lovely girl, who adores me, will stand in my place.”

As Aidan’s expression contorted in rage, Jacks turned away, feeling quite satisfied.

❖ ❖ ❖

“This is honestly too much.”

Night had fallen over the forest.

Jacks, who had settled just off a cleared path, clucked his tongue as he poked at the campfire.

He had seemed unnerved by the fact that Aidan had left him alive and had hastily fled the scene.

At first, he sat Brody in front of him on the horse. But when she collapsed, unable to stay upright, he simply slung her over the saddle like laundry.

Brody had vomited several times from the nausea. In the end, she had nothing left to throw up but stomach acid.

Shame overwhelmed her, and she begged him to at least let her ride behind and tie her securely to the saddle.

Jacks reluctantly agreed, sighing.

When others were watching, he pretended to care for Brody. But now that they were alone, his true nature came out.

And really, it had always been this way.

In Brody’s memories, Jacks had never treated her like a real person.

In public, he was the picture of nobility and kindness, so even if Brody had shouted, “He’s a monster!” no one would have believed her.

She hadn’t fully realized who he was until she possessed Brody’s body.

In the novel, Jacks had been portrayed as a stubborn but passionate man of justice, eventually becoming a heroic figure who won people over.

But pushing himself to return to the capital quickly had backfired. They couldn’t reach the next town before nightfall and were now forced to camp.

He dismounted, tied Brody with rope, and gagged her.

What? Doesn’t he just control me anyway?

Apparently, whatever power he used to control her body had some kind of cost. It wasn’t something he could activate continuously.

Jacks left her propped against a tree and began setting up camp.

Brody struggled to stay upright, trying to assess her surroundings and gather her thoughts.

The flickering campfire kept pulling her mind into a daze.

Get it together, Brody. If you go with him, your life will be worse than death.

She recalled how her body had moved against her will earlier that day.

It was a kind of violation she had never experienced before.

Her mind was intact, but her body wouldn’t obey her.

It was like all her nerves had been severed, cutting her off from her brain—and something insect-like had crawled in to pilot her body instead.

Her stomach churned again, and she bent over.

Lowering her gaze, she saw Jacks’s boots.

He spoke to her in an annoyed tone.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Brody. You always act like you’re suffering over nothing. I’m the one who truly suffers. Do you know how much the Princess scolded me because of your irresponsibility?”

Brody bit her lip—no, she bit down on the gag.

Is that what you say after working her until she coughed up blood?

Not just from Brody’s memories, but from her own past life as Do-yeon, his words struck her hard.

Her parents had caused endless problems, relying on her to fix everything. And when she got tired, they lashed out.

Why can’t you do it like everyone else? Don’t be so dramatic. What, you want praise for helping? Isn’t it your job to support your family? Didn’t you grow up alone?

At first, when their finances crumbled, Do-yeon had tried her best. Her family was grateful, and that had felt good.

But once she took on responsibility, it became expected.

And even then, the ones her parents truly cared for weren’t her—it was her older brother.

Brody and I… we’re not so different, are we?

Unconditional sacrifice. Kindness that’s never returned.

Maybe that’s why she was given this second life.

To live differently.

To never let herself be used like that again.

Brody’s nose stung as tears threatened to form—but she steeled herself.

No matter what, she would escape.

She wouldn’t let herself be their pawn.

Slowly, Brody raised her head.